Sida PFAN Initiative on Clean Energy Financing Accepting Applications

The Sida PFAN Initiative on Clean Energy Financing (SPICEF) seeks to nurture entrepreneurs, start-up and existing companies, project teams and consortia with environmentally beneficial business proposals with the aim of linking them with investment and finance and making them happen. SPICEF is now accepting applications from project developers in the East and Southern African regions before May 8th 2016.

The Sida PFAN Initiative on Clean Energy Financing (SPICEF) provides crucial early stage pro bono project development and support in raising financing to clean energy entrepreneurs, start-up and growth stage companies, project teams and consortia with viable and environmentally beneficial business proposals, by linking them with investment and finance and nurturing their development and implementation.

SPICEF will prepare selected projects for financing and match projects with investors and financiers from CTI PFAN’s international investment network. To that end SPICEF seeks innovative Clean Energy projects from the Southern and Eastern African regions that are financially viable, socially responsible and environmentally beneficial.

Competitively selected projects will receive intensive coaching from CTI PFAN professional consultants to help prepare them for investment. Projects will be categorised as Pipeline & Investor Ready Projects. Investor Ready Projects will be prepared for financing facilitation and possible participation in a Clean Energy Financing Forum (CEF) in 2017; earlier stage Pipeline Projects will be groomed for longer term development and future CEFs or other financing facilitation opportunities including a new portfolio approach, which will bundle projects for wholesale capital market investments.

SPICEF is sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI), CTI’s Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI PFAN), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) with support from the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT).

Co-Organizers include the East African Development Bank (EADB), Rural Electrification Agency of Uganda (REA), the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA), Energy Private Developers Association of Rwanda (EPD) and the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE). PPL International manages the program on behalf of the Sponsors and Co-organizers.

Eligibility

SPICEF is open to projects from the following countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe.

Focus of Projects / Acceptable Proposals:

The business / project must promote or deploy Clean Energy technologies, products or services and can the following categories:

Upstream technology development: development and commercialization of a new clean technology;

Merger, acquisition or joint venture which will add value to an existing / current clean energy/technology business.

Investment Amount

Business opportunities that require total (initial) private capital in excess of US$1 million (or currency equivalent) will be considered. In the case of energy access and rural electrification projects the investment sought may be less providing the proposal demonstrates strong development impacts and social entrepreneurship.

Proposals seeking primarily grant funding are not eligible and will not be considered, though the investment proposal may include elements of grant, donor and / or subsidized funding to enhance the overall investment proposition.

Submission of Application

All submissions are to be made in electronic format. Consideration should be given to the size of individual files to ensure ease of transmission. To increase information security and authenticity, files should, where possible, be submitted in PDF format and financial models as an annex to the Project Proposal document in Excel format. The Application Consists of:

Timeline

Stage 1: Project Proposal Submission

The submission of the Application to Participate together with the Project Proposal and Excel Project Data Sheet must be made by midnight (Central Africa Time) on Sunday 8th May 2016.

Stage 2: Coaching and Business Plan Preparation

In this stage of business plan guidance, the assigned CTI PFAN Coaches will assist the project teams in preparing an investor ready business plan. This support, up to four working days (32 hours) in total, will be provided at no cost to the teams. Additionally a Project Development & Financing Workshop will be held in November 2016 for all selected participants to provide expert input and advice in a group environment.

Applications must be received by midnight Central African Time on 8th May 2016 at spicef [at] cti-pfan.net (subject: Proposal%20for%20SPICEF) .